


The Worried Elf Prince

by CityofFallenAngels



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Hobbits, Protective Legolas Greenleaf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 22:46:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12467652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityofFallenAngels/pseuds/CityofFallenAngels
Summary: For as long as he'd known elves were arrogant and conceited. Perhaps he was wrong.





	The Worried Elf Prince

They had always been the stories of imaginations.

Elves.

It was said they were the Firstborn children, children who roamed Arda far earlier than they did. But as time passed they lessened in numbers, kept to themselves to the point that you would be fortunate if you could glimpse a sight of an elf.

Of course to any dwarf, and to Gimli, the stories of Elves were told much more differently. They were given a more unkind version, if you will. One that told Elves were wretched creatures who were selfish and proud and vain.

Proud? Gimli was not so sure.

But selfish? He had to think thrice. He had never dreamed he would ever walk side by side with a elf. Oh, how his family would mock him! How his fellow dwarves would laugh at him! Gimli, the son of Gloin, walking with an elf prince of all people? But all the nasty stories he had heard since he was a young lad seemed so far-fetched.

To be fair, he was extremely irritated at the start. They squabbled a lot, and by squabelled he really meant him shooting rude remarks at the elf. The said elf only gave him an icy cold stare.

"What, the high elvish princeling has nothing to say?" Gimli mocked when Legolas did not reply.

The elf said nothing, but the tension between them was palpable. Legolas' silence infuriated Gimli even more. So the elf thought he was better than everyone else? It reinforced the fact that elves were cocky people. They saw people as beneath them.

It was easy to think of all this. But as time passed on their journey and they were forced to be near each other, Gimli saw other things. The elf was ever the calm one in the group, the voice of reason, acting as though he was all that. He spoke little and expressed little emotion aside from his annoying calmness. All these annoyed Gimli to no end.  

But then that one night when they made camp in the midst of their journey near a cliff, Legolas had opted to take the first watch. He did so many times. In fact, Gimli had never actually seen the elf sleep before. This time he decided not to sleep first, only pretending to. When a decent period of time had passed, Gimli cracked open an eye to see what Legolas was doing.

Legolas sat facing the sky. His golden hair, flying in the breeze, shone in the moonlight, as did his alabaster skin. He was a picture of serenity. But Gimli saw a picture he had never seen before.

Worry.

On the elf's face.

And not just that. Sadness? Both emotions filled the elf's blue eyes. They were such…human emotions. There was no serenity, just worry. And all of a sudden, the entire week's toil seemed to show on the elf's face.

He almost looked…tired.

Legolas shifted, and Gimli quickly squeezed his eyes shut, the thoughts fading away. When daylight came, Gimli realised with a shock that the elf had not waken him for his turn.

The next few days passed in a similar manner. They took their turns keeping watch, but Legolas offered to do it the most. Everyone slept, but for the love of him Gimli never saw the elf sleep. He wasn't bothered by it. Maybe elves did not sleep at all? It was by the fourth day that Gimli caught almost an unbelievable sight.

Did he imagine it, or did Legolas just rub his eyes?

The action passed quickly. Gimli shrugged it off.

On the eight day, Legolas suddenly stumbled. Gimli was nearest to him and quickly caught him without thinking. The elf quickly jerked away, face red.

"You're welcome," Gimli scoffed, offended.

"I'm fine," Legolas snapped. Anger was also a rare thing he showed, but Gimli could see it clearly.

"Legolas, are you well?" Aragorn approached him, brows pulled. He had never seen Legolas trip over anything, ever. "Mellon, you look exhausted! Have you not slept at all last night?"

"He did," Gimli said certainly. "I saw him close his eyes when I was taking the shift. His eyes were closed the entire time."

Legolas shot him such an evil glare Gimli would have melted on the spot if he wasn't a dwarf.

"Gimli." Aragorn said.

"What?"

"Elves don't sleep with their eyes closed."

Gimli's eyes widened. " _What?_ "

"Legolas, you have been keeping watch even during our turns, haven't you?"

"What? Oh, so you can't trust this dwarf to take watch either, can you? You smug little-"

"That's not my point-" Legolas argued.

"Then why do you not sleep?"

Legolas fell silent. Aragorn and Gimli were both looking at him questioningly. The elf sighed.

"Perhaps I have been worried." 

"Mellon, you need to rest. It's alright." Aragorn squeezed his shoulder. "We are here."

"I do not doubt your abilities, but this journey is precarious...time is precious and I can sleep less..."

"But that does not mean you do not need to sleep at all. It would be more precarious to see our friend not taking care of himself."

Legolas stifled a yawn. He smiled weakly. "Perhaps you are right."

"We will make camp here today. It is late enough."

Gimli took the first watch. The Hobbits had fallen deeply asleep. Legolas sat beside Aragorn. They talked for a short while, deep in conversation in the way friends would be. When Gimli turned again, Legolas's head was rested on Aragorn's lap. Indeed his blue eyes were open, but they were half-lidded, gazing emptily at the sky. He looked truly serene. Aragorn looked at Gimli and placed a finger on his lip. They both looked satisfied.

It was a good night, and the elvish prince was finally asleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love comments so please leave any feedback you have!! They make me really happy for my effort :D


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